Rebel XT image Sharpness

[LightUser]

Can anyone with the XT tell me the optimum camera settings in order to get sharp images right out of the camera? I figure a lot will depend on the lenses maybe I don't know. But I'm having to sharpen every image whether jpg or raw. I heard that digital cameras will give sharp images right from the camera, I have yet to see it.

I'm using all Canon lenses, 18-55, 50 1.4 35 2.8...

Thanks.

[jdando]

Humm, I will bite.

Good light, steady camera, immovable subject.


The question is too vague to properly address. Post up a specific example of what is going on and I am sure that would help the discussion.

jeremy

[Peter Pawinski]

Shooting JPG, I have my in-camera sharpening set to 5, which is a bit sharper than the default setting (3 on the 5D), but not maximum (which is 7). I find 5 produces a very crisp image. I imagine the XT has similar settings. On the 5D, you find the sharpness setting in the picture styles menu.

Even at default settings, the images coming out of a Canon should look pretty sharp to begin with. An example would be useful so we could determine whether it's a sharpening issue or some other issue.

[Thomas Blake]

A tripod, a cable release, mirror lock-up, and either a stationary subject or a shutterspeed fast enough to freeze motion.

[LightUser]

Ok...the XT doesn't have picture styles and the most sharpening has to be done in the menu settings which is +2 and that is all the way over..I realized how vague it was after posting it. I'll see if I can post an example..Am working on it, cannot seem to get it 800x800 for the size requirements...but I'll try to post one.

[LightUser]

Here it is..made to satisfy the upload requirements..don't laugh, originally shot in raw, just trying it out. Original is much better but upload requirements say has to be 800x800.

[Nice Glass]

Looks oversharpened or just badly compressed. You can upload a much lower compressed image to a spot like photobucket.

[Mcary]

LightUser,

A few questions

1. what F-stop do you generally shoot at?
2. How do you focus? A, let the camera pick the focus point, B use the center focus point and recompose, B compose and use the appropriate user selected focus point?

If the answer to question 2 is A or B try composing then focusing so that one of focus points are over one of the subjects eyes or another important element of the image.

My rule is if an image doesn't look sharp at 100% with only default ACR or LR sharpening it doesn't get processed

Mike

[Peter Pawinski]

Ok...the XT doesn't have picture styles and the most sharpening has to be done in the menu settings which is +2 and that is all the way over..I realized how vague it was after posting it. I'll see if I can post an example..Am working on it, cannot seem to get it 800x800 for the size requirements...but I'll try to post one.

+2 should be pretty darn sharp. I really can't tell much looking at the uploaded JPEG, unfortunately. If you're comfortable with it, you can send me the raw (peter [at] peterpawinski.com) and I'll have a look at it. Or if you have a full res JPEG taken with the +2 setting that looks soft to you, you can host it on one of those image hosting sites and all of us could have a gander.

[Tony-S]

Here it is..made to satisfy the upload requirements..don't laugh, originally shot in raw, just trying it out. Original is much better but upload requirements say has to be 800x800.

Well, a few things:

1. Your 18-55 probably won't give the best of images, even at f/5.6.
2. What did you do in your conversion from raw to jpeg for this post?
3. Can you post a 100% crop? To do this, export as an 8-bit TIFF, then set your crop parameters to 800x800.
4. Have you tried focus tests with your lenses? I'd be interested to see a shot from your 50mm f/1.4 taken at f/2.8 - say, someone's eyes at a fast shutter speed (1/250 or more).
5. Try a shot with your flash - again, with someone's eyes and at least one stop down. Does that improve your sharpness?

[LightUser]

+2 should be pretty darn sharp. I really can't tell much looking at the uploaded JPEG, unfortunately. If you're comfortable with it, you can send me the raw (peter [at] peterpawinski.com) and I'll have a look at it. Or if you have a full res JPEG taken with the +2 setting that looks soft to you, you can host it on one of those image hosting sites and all of us could have a gander.

Ok, I'll try that...one thing I have noticed that when I open a raw file, make my adjustments and save as a jpeg (that is how I get jpegs from raw) it will not hardly sharpen..if I shoot jpeg and sharpen it works much better...sharpening jpegs made from raw is so hard to sharpen.

That image was saved so many times trying to get to the right resolution to post here, it is a wonder it looks that good.

I compose and then focus. I have the middle focus point on the eyes.